Folding chair



H. HOWE FOLDING CHAIR Aug. 16, 1932.

Filed May 5, 11951 lov-752 VIN VEN TOR. /vmeaL o Hok/z.

HARoLn frown, or NEW YORK, mYLQAssiGNon rrorrovsprny rornrueprunurrunn, inc.,

Patented Aug. 16, 193'?y UNITEnS'TArEs PATENT oFFiCa-f nomme CHAIR Application mea May 5, 1931. seria; No. 535,167.

.Folding devices lfor the seat and legsrof chairs, benches, and the like have been many and variedbut for the most part have either been of a complicated structural nature and design or else necessitating such modication of chair design and appearance as toleave the market practically open for a folding chair'which, when unfolded and ready for` use, has the general appearance of an ordinary rigid chairy of conventionalde'sign but which may be folded to occupy veryvmuch less space thansuch rigid chairs. Y i

.The `purpose of this invention. is to-.provide such a chair andvone whose folding parts are of simple,` economical andi ingenious designV but which are of a character that lends rigidity tothe-.chair andk Clo :not

detract from the appearance thereof,

The principal feature of the invention isV a novel arrangement of` links so co-related as to provide a very simple and easily. operated positive folding mechanism for-the seat and front legs ofthe chair. Y

Various objects and advantages byway of details will be apparent asY the Vdescription proceeds, reference now being had to the figures of the accompanying drawing forin Figure 2 is a bottomr plan 'viewj of thel chair, shown in Figurevl, certainiparts being Vomitted for clearness. I y

Figure 3 is a front elevationk of the chair front legs folded againstu with the seat and the back.

Figure 4 is a detail vsectionalview"takenv on the line 4--4 of Figure-1, and greatlyen-` larged. Y

Figure 5 `is ak detail bottom plan view of a portion of the slide and ylocking member. vi The -front legs of the .chair are indicated bythe reference characters 1 and Zand the.

rear legs thereof by 3 and4. Theirear legs Y 3 and 4 are extended upwardly beyond the heighth-of the front legs and at a `slight rearward angle thereto, as at 5, to provide'a back frame, connecting and extending between which is the back rest member 6. The rear legs 3 and 4 are connected below the back frame members 51by the cross pieces 7 and8.

Front legsland2 are connected togetherv adjacent their upper ends by-y the cross piece` 9."V

The seat member 10 is hinged on its underside and ata point spaced inwardlya short distance from` its-.front edge toi the cross piece 9, as by the hinges 11. :The seat 10 is provided at its rear corners withr'igid bracket members V12suitably secured thereto and eX- tending upwardly therefrom for pivotal engagement with p ins 13 carried by the eXtenf sions 5 of the. rear legs 3 and 4 justvabove- `the seat 10. It will thus be seen that the seat 10 is `hinged or pivoted ,upon the rear legs and frame of the chair'and the front legs'.

1 and? are hingedto the underside of the i seat 10.'v yObviously, therefore, when the seat 10 is lifted upwardly saidseat andthe front legs 1 and 2are adaptedto-assume the position shownin dotted lines in Figure 1 directly in front ofthe back frame 5.

Pivoted yto the Yinner side of each of theV front legsA 1 and2 are link members 14 and likewise-,to each of the rear legs 3 and 4 are pivoted link membersv 15.` VThe `opposite ends of these fourl link members k14 and 15 are provided ywith. a `common pivot` pin 16 substantially centrally of the chair seat and at a point directly beneath the same.

` The particular arrangementof the links provides a substantially;Y V-shaped bracing structure which effectively serves as a brace against lateral stress and strain to which the seat and legs are subjected to in use. v

. HOn the'underside ofthe seatlO and eXtendf ing from a point adjacent the rear edgev thereico of, forwardlyto a point adjacent Athe center thereof, is suitably secured, as by screws 17, a

channelA guide member 18 openion its underside. Slidably mounted in this channel guide 18 is a lug or shoe 19provided witha down# c wardly` extending ear 2(1projectingA below` the opening inthe guide 18.` The pivot ypin 16 passes through this ear 20, wherebythe inner ends ofthe vfour links 14 and 15 are connected tothe shoe519. This shoel19iis; adapted to slide freely within the channelV guide 18 and obviously does so upon raising or lowering the seat 10, as indicated clearly in Figure '1, thus --providing af very Y positive folding means for the front legs 1 and A2 as. thefseat 10 is moved. Afdjacent the inner end of the channel guide there is fixedly provided a stop' memberV 18a 1positioned within the channel and against which the shoe 19.is adapted to engage when the seat 1()v is folded to supporting position. Thus a ,positive stop is` provided for` the shoe in this position, which takes the shock and strain or stressto which the shoe isr subjected in the directionof.thestopgi j Means are providedwherebyf the folding parts may be locked when in the unfolded position shown in Figures 1 and-2 in full lines,'whereby to lend rigidity to the chair and prevent inadvertentor accidental folding of the seat and front legs. This locking l means comprises an arm 21 pivoted to the underside of the seat 10 asat and provided at its inner end with a hook 23adapted to engage around the ear 20.0f the shoe 19 when the seat is downor in.unfoldedfposition..V A coil spring24 secured at one endto the chan-1 nel guide18 and at-the yopposite end toene side of the arm'21 serves to normallyY urge said Varmto locking position. I It will be noted with reference to Figure 1 particularly, that this lockingV arm 21 is offset intermediate its ends Vso as to underlie the channel guideA 18 in order` to cooperate with'the ear= 20.'

' VThe oppositeror forward lend of thelocking arm 21;` extends through a slotl` or recess 25 provided in the upper edge ofthe cross piece 9 and is provided at itsextreme outer end with a downwardly turned angular firi` ger piece or flange 26 lying immediately under the forward edgeof the chair seat line'position, shown in Figure 1, the operai sume 'the dottedlinel positionr 'adj acent'v the lfront-of the chair back and because of the pivotahconnection with the front legs 1 and .2"'with Vthe seat, thesame likewisefassuine a substantially Yvertical position against thev underside of theseat 1(1). The links 14 and lp'cooperate to produce aposit-ive smooth and Vquick-'folding actioniof'the seat and front legs 'vastheseatis lifted. 'Likewise asthe seat 10 is lowered' toA horizontal position, vsaid'.

links serve to slide the shoe 19 forwardly n in the channel guide and simultaneously lows er the front legs 1 and 2 toseat supporting position. As soon asthe ear 2O onthe shoe 19 has Vpassed the vhook portion 23, the Vsame will snap into locking position` directly in the rear thereof .whereby a rigid chair seat isprovided.. y It'will be noted'that the chair may lhave the'usualV and conventionalappearance of a rigid chair and yetis'foldable to arelatively narrow space fors'torage. A

Of course, changes may be made in details of construction and-operation without departing from the spirit` and scope ofvmyin- .vention T do not limit'm'yself, therefore, to

uponthe locking armmay be released. Continued liftingof'the seat 710 causes it toasscribed other than byv the appendedv claims.'

'.Iclaim: d f 1.V A folding chaircompri'sing-a back and rear legs,- a seat `pivoted thereto, front legs pivotedto said seat, links pivoted at oney end to said front and rear legs and vconverging to a movable element at their opposite ends, andmeans for guiding the movement of said element. Y

y2. A foldingchair comprising-a back andrear' legs, a seat pivotedV thereto,. front legs pivotedto said seat,llinks pivoted at one end to said front and rear legs and converging to a*v vcommon slidable clement at their i opposite ends, and means. forguidingthe ysliding movement of sai'dcommon element.` .l y 3. A folding chair comprising a: back and rear legs, a seat rpivoted Ytheret o,i'front `legs pivoted Vto said seat, aseparatelink pivoted at' one end to each of 'said front and rear` legs, said links converging inwardly from said legs, a common pivot member for lthe opposite ends of all of said links, and'means on 'saidchair' permitting guided sliding' movement of said common pivot upon folding and unfol ing movement-of said frontlegs and-seat. i

4, A- folding chair comprising a backan'd I rear legs, a seatpivoted thereto, front llegs pivoted to said seat, links pivoted at one end ,I to said front and rear legs and converging to a common movable pivot at their opposite Vends, means for guiding the movement of said common pivot and means to "lock said Common pivot in one position.

5. A folding chair comprising a back and rearlegs, a seat pivoted thereto, front legs pivoted to said seat,a separate link pivoted at one end to each of said front and rear Ylegs, said links converging inwardly from said legs, a common pivot member for the opposite ends of all of said links, means on said chair permitting guided sliding movement of said common pivot, and means to releasably lock said common pivot in one position. v

6. A' folding chair comprising a back and rear legs, a seat pivoted thereto, front legs pivoted to said seat, links pivoted at one end to sai-d front and rear legs, said links `converging inwardly from said legs, a common pivot member for the opposite-ends of all of said links, said member comprising-a slidable shoe, and a guide for said shoe on the underside of said seat.

7. A folding chair comprising a back and rear legs, a seat pivoted thereto, front/legs kpivoted to said seat, links pivoted at one end to said front andrrear legs, said links converging inwardly from said legs, ka commonv pivot member for the opposite ends of all of'said links, said member comprising a slidable shoe, a guide for said shoe on the underside of said seat and a pivoted locking inember for releasably securing said member in` one position. Y

8. A folding article of furniture compris# ing a plurality of supporting legs, a seat member having pivotal connection with said legs, a plurality of links each having one end pivoted to one of said legs, and a commonv pivot for the opposite ends of said links, disposed substantially centrally of said seat.

9. A folding chair comprising'a back and rear legs, a seat pivoted thereto, front legs pivoted to said seat, links pivoted at one end to said front and rear legs and having a common movable pivot at their oppositeends, and means disposed substantially centrally of said seat for guiding the movement of said common pivot.

l0. A folding article of furniture comprising a plurality of supporting legs, a seat member having pivotal connection with said legs, a plurality of links each having one end pivoted to one of said legs, said links converging inwardly from said legs, and a common pivot member for the converging opposite ends of said links disposed substantially Vcentrally of said seat.

' In testimony whereof, I aihx my si ature.

HAROLD H WE. 

